Divorce Advice for Men | Fathers Rights Divorce | Child Custody

By JoAnne C. Holt,  Divorce financial analyst

“Income” for purposes of calculating child support and alimony is not always as evident as one would think. Let’s look at several scenarios:

• Employee who receives a W-2
• Self-employed professional
• Partner with another unrelated business person in several ventures

Question:

I am about to get a new job making about 20% more gross income. Although there is nothing in my agreement or divorce settlement about disclosing this, is a change in income something I must share with my ex wife, who will probably ask for more child support and alimony if she finds out?

Question:

My wife is about to file for divorce. She told me she will depend on me paying child support and alimony to live off of. My problem is she is a licensed real estate agent and is refusing to get a job. Why should I have to pay alimony if she has the same or more earning potential as me?

Among the Ask a Divorce Lawyer questions answered today by Cordell & Cordell attorneys:

• Child support is still being taken out of my paychecks when it shouldn't be. How can I have it stopped?
• Can I request my ex help pay for medical bills in addition to the child support orders?
• My husband just found out that his ex-wife has been receiving a significant amount of financial aid and has never disclosed that when we have gone to court. Doesn't she have to let us know that and is there anything we can do now that we know that?

Question:

In spousal support cases, what rule(s) compel the party being paid spousal support to provide proof of any income or lack of income? Does this proof include things such as unemployment or denial letters from unemployment office, state disability checks or denial letter from state disability, worker's compensation awards, etc. Although check stubs/tax statements and receipts were asked for, the court did not compel the other party to provide “evidence” nor did it sanction them for not providing them. The court simply ignored the request.